The unknown teacher
by Headwitch
Summary: Who's the new DADA professor, the people filling in give hints and Hermione keeps getting hunches, hunches she won't share with anyone.


**{Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Luna Lovegood, Hogsmead, Peeves, Kings Cross, or anything thing that you find remotely familiar, in fact, I own nothing, well, I own a cat, and books, lots and lots of books.}**

**1. Back to Hogwarts.**

After a fairly bad summer, even though he could do as he pleased, Harry Potter joined his friends and schoolmates at Kings Cross station, in London, at Platform nine and three-quarters. He had spent a week at the Borrow, he would have gone sooner, Ron and Hermione begged him to, but he didn't think that he could stand being around people for that long at a time. Harry finally gave in, but only because he had to purchase school supplies, and his Aunt and Uncle wouldn't take him, so the Weasely's offered to, seeing as their two youngest children, and Hermione, had yet to purchase their own. They said their goodbyes and everyone hurried to find a compartment, Harry and Neville found one, which had enough space so that Ron and Hermione could sit there too, along with Luna and Ginny. They were all attending a prefect meeting. It was strange that now the six shared a special bond, though Harry knew it was because of the incident at the Ministry of Magic, last July. Harry would never say this out loud, he knew it would just encourage people to talk about Sirius, Harry knew he wouldn't be able to stand that.

"So, how's your summer been so far, Harry?" Neville asked, snapping Harry out of his thoughts.

"Well, I have had better." he replied grimly.

"Do you happen to know what the prophecy had said?"

"Yes, Dumbledore told me."

"Do you mind if I know?" Neville asked eagerly, "But if you don't want to talk, then, you don't have to." he added quickly.

"No, Nev, I think it may be best if you do know." Harry launched into great detail over what the prophecy had said, but not explaining the part about how it could have been Neville.

"So, why do you want me to know, but you haven't told anyone else about it." Neville asked, clearly not drawing a conclusion.

"It could have been very well been you." Harry said softly. Neville's eyebrows rose questioningly, so Harry continued, "You could have been attacked by Voldemort when you were a baby, you could have had a lightning bolt scar, you could have been the boy-who-lived." Neville simply stared at him, speechless. At that moment, Ron, Hermione, Luna and Ginny walked into the compartment.

"What's up with Neville?" Luna asked, sitting next to him.

"I told him some very, err, disturbing news." Harry replied sheepishly.

"You can tell us." Hermione said, concerned.

"It would help if you told someone, so you wouldn't have to worry about whatever it is alone." Ginny reassured him.

"Ok, here goes nothing. You know about the prophecy, right?" Harry said.

"Yes, but we haven't a clue what it said." Hemione said, while everyone else nodded, agreeing.

"Well, I found out what it said." Harry started sheepishly.

"From who?" Hermoine asked.

"Dumbledore, he was there when 'the old fraud' made the prophecy." Harry explained.

"Trawnly made it?" Ron asked, looking confused, "what was Dumbledore doing, hanging around with her?"

"He was interviewing her for the Divination position."

"Go on Harry, tell us what it said." Ginny urged.

"Ok." Harry recited word for word, the prophecy.

"That means that you have to be a murderer, or be murdered." Hermione said shocked.

"That also means that it could have very easily been Neville." Luna said, not quite as dreamily as she normally would.

"Really?" Ron said, looking shocked. Hermione wacked him alongside the head. "Hey, what was that for?"

"For being stupid." Hermione replied.

"A.K.A. yourself." Ginny added, looking smug.

"Well, you lot got the jest of it loads faster than Neville.' Harry said, but added quickly, "No offense Nev." Neville simply stared out of the window.

"Neville!" Ginny said, waving her hand in front of his face, he didn't even blink.

"I think he's in a state of shock." Hermione stated.

"Let me try something." Luna suggested. She cupped his face and deeply kissed him. He blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

"I think the rest of us are in shock now." Ron said, looking fearful. Hermione hit him again. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Just admit that you're madly in love with each other and get it over with." she snorted.

"Who?" Hermione raged.

"Why, you and the youngest of the gits, of course." Ginny replied, motioning towards Ron.

"Oh, and that's exactly what you would do?" Ron snapped.

"Yes, of cour..." she started, then realized what she was saying and started mumbling, "well, maybe not, I mean, I could have said it years ago, but he wouldn't... nah, never..." she seemed to have finished conferring with herself, and her voice returned to normal, "ok, maybe I wouldn't, but when the whole school, and your entire family knows, then you have to give in."

"Oh yeah, it's not like the whole world doesn't know you like" he started to retort, but Ginny whipped out her wand and said 'silencio', before he could say a name.

Hermione sighed in a dreamy sort of way, and said, unaware that everyone heard her, "I like him better this way, I can look at him all I want and he can't argue with me." she snapped out of her revere, "Did I say that out loud?" she asked, putting her hand to her mouth.

Everyone else started laughing uncontrollably, then Ginny whispered something in Ron's ear and preformed the countercurse.

"So, 'mione, doyawannagooutsometime?" Ron said quickly.

"Repeat, please, but slower." Hermione said.

"Do you want to go out with me, sometime?" he repeated slower.

"Umm, sure, I guess." Hermione replied, trying not to look too happy, while Ginny tried not to look too smug. Both girls failed.

"So, who do you think will be the defense against the dark arts professor this year?" Harry wanted to change the subject before he was forced to name his crush.

"Good question, but I don't know." Hermione replied.

"What's this, a question that the lovely Miss. Know-it-all doesn't know the answer to, what's the world coming to?" Ron said in a mock surprise voice, earning another smack in the head from Hermione.

"I'm thinking that it might either be someone we've never met, or a member of the Order." Ginny suggested.

"Stupid order." Harry mumbled.

"Maybe." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"We're here!" Neville said brightly, and sure enough, they had arrived in Hogsmead.

The group found a not-so-horseless-carriage, but before they got in, Luna, Neville, and Harry patted the Thestrels, while Ron muttered, 'Creepy horse things'. They made their way up to the castle and found seats at their respective tables. Professor McGonagall came out with a stool and the Sorting Hat. It didn't break into song, but merely spoke.

"I see that few took my advice, how pitiful.

In times of great trouble I say 'stand together', but no one listens to a hat.

So now I must do what I was sewn to do, divide those who should not be divided.

I might find you worthy of the house that Godric made, if you might be brave of heart.

If instead you're strong of mind, than into Ravenclaw you shall go.

If you are cunning, regardless of ancestry, I will feel the need to let you pay a visit to the house Silver and green.

And otherwise, if you are kind than Hufflepuff you should seek.

I must let you know that I am tempted to just refuse to sort, but than I would be fired. I warned that if I was to sort I would not be serving well, but indeed, not a soul took heed, and I may not bid you farewell. How sad it is when no one listens to a hat."

The great hall sat shocked for a few moments, and then Professor McGonagall recovered herself and started calling out the names of those to be sorted. When she was finished, Dumbledore stood up and started his start of term announcements.

"OK! Listen up! The Forbidden Forest is forbidden to all students, as it's name would suggest. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has reminded me to warn you of the list of forbidden items, which includes just about everything from 'Weasley Wizard Whizzes' which brings the list up to 496 items, not that you're going to bother to look at it anyway." his eyes twinkled, as Flich growled, "Quidditch tryouts will be held within the first two weeks of school for students in second year and above, check with the team's captain for the exact date. Due to the success of the Yule Ball, of two previous, we are planning on hosting a Halloween, and a Christmas Ball, and perhaps some others. Lastly, filling the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be a person who will reveal him or herself at the Christmas Ball, unless someone manages to figure out who it is before that." his eyes flickered towards the trio, "Until then, we will have various substitute teachers, starting with Miss Nymphordia Tonks!" Tonks waved a hand, as there was a round of applause for her, mainly from people who knew her from the Order. "Enough with an old man's ramblings tuck in!" He sat down just as food magically appeared on the plates.

"Finally, I thought he was gong to go on forever." Ron said, loading his plate with food.

"Well, at least it wasn't a waffle with loads of important stuff that Hermione had to explain to us, this time." Harry responded.

"Umbridge!" Harry, Hermione, and Ron groaned in unison.

"Hermione, did we ever thank you for your quick thinking that led to 'the Umbridge/centaur incident?" Harry asked.

"No, I don't believe you did." she responded grinning.

"Thanks!" everyone sitting around them said.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Ron asked.

"When you said Umbridge/Centaur incident, we all listened up." Colin Creevey said.

"Yup, Hermione's our hero for getting rid of her!" a third year whom no one knew said, while all her friends nodded in agreement. Hermione blushed a Weasley blush.

The group made their way up to Gryfindor tower, where the boys and girls parted ways, to go to their respective dormitories.

While Harry was changing into his nightclothes Dean and Seamus came in.

"You're not going to have a go at my mother this year, are you?" Seamus asked coolly.

"Not unless she's got another problem with me." Harry responded in the same tone.

"Fair enough." Seamus said, lightening his voice. The boys then started a conversation about what happened over the summer, and, as usual, about Quidditch. Harry listened, rather than recount his terrible summer, but gladly joined in whenever Quidditch was concerned. The boys continued this light chatter, until one by one they all fell asleep.

A/N: Ok, so that was my first chapter, if you liked it, review, let me know, if you didn't like it, review, let me know.


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